Combined platform and gang-plank



(No Model.) N Y J. A. POWELL.

` COMBINED PLATFORM AND GANG PLANK. 497

. Patented Nov. 17, 1896.

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Nrrnn STATES JAMES ALVIN POVELL, OF ASHLAND, KENTCKY.

COMBINED PLATFORM AND GANG-PLANK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,497, dated November1'7, 1896.

Application filed July 16, 1896. Serial No. 599,443. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that I, JAMES ALVIN POWELL, residing at Ashland, in thecounty of Boyd and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and usefulCombined Platform and Gang- Plank, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention is in the nature of a combined gan g-plank and platform,which, While more especially adapted for use in connection withfreight-cars,is also adapted for use at any place where gang-planks orskids are found necessary in the handling of heavy articles.

My invention seeks to provide a platform and plank for the purposesdescribed of a very simple and inexpensive construction which can bereadily put in position for use within a car-body Without requiring anychange or alteration of such body. y

My invention also seeks to provide a platform or housing combined with aslidable gang-plank in such a manner that the said plank cannot readilybecome lost, and such plank is capable of being used at any place and atany angle desired.

Furthermore my invention also has for its object to provide a gang-plankand a platform or housing therefor constructed so the plank can beworked from either side of the car and such platform at all. timesprotected and held for a free movement.

/Vith other objects in view which will hereinafter appear my inventionconsists in a combined gang-plank and platform embodying the peculiarand novel arrangement and combination of parts, such as will be rstdescribed in detail and then be specifically pointed out in the appendedclaims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a view illustrating my invention as applied for use. Fig. 2is a cross-section of a portion of a car-body, illustrating thegang-plank slid back into the platform 0r housing out of use. Fig. 3 isa plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a crosssection ofthe platform and plank, taken on the line 4t 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is adetail perspective view illustrating the stop-catches and the stop-pawldevices hereinafter referred Fig. .6 is a detail view of one end of theplatform or housing, and Fig. 7 isa view illusa trating but a part ofthe plank drawn out to form a skid.

In its practical construction my improvement embodies a platform orhousing member A, the length of which is made to suit the width of thecar-body or other body to which it is to be applied, ordinarily suchplatform being made seven feet long, six inches high, to width of theplank used in connection therewith, the ends and sides being sloped tocar-Hoor, the entire platform being preferably six feet wide.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 4c it will be observed that the platform hasa central longitudinal chamber B, the base of which at the sides hasrabbets or guide-pieces C, which slope from the center outward and forminclined ways for the gang-plank D. The plank D, which, when of theordinary dimensions, is eight feet long, two and one-half feet wide, andof suitable thickness, is also made in two sections joined by theknuckle-hinge F for a purpose presently explained.

The ends of the plank D are beveled or made sloping, as at d, and havesecured to the under side at such ends gravity-dogs F, which are so hungthat their ends f will engage the stops G, secured in the base of thechamber B at their outer ends, and thereby hold the plank D from beingaccidentally thrown outward by lateral movement of the car-body when thedoors are open, such dogs also having catch portions f, which Willengage the said stops G when the plank is drawn out and prevent itsfalling off the car-body.

H indicates aprons or drop members which are hinged to the ends of thetop or straight portion A2 of the platform and rest on the inclined endportions a of the platform, they being hinged in such a manner to admitof being turned back, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to provide foreasy access to the chamber B.

rlhe drop members lil may be made heavy, so as to bear down on theplankD and keep it in such position as to bring the catch members at alltimes in a proper condition for engaging the stops for the purposesstated.

So far as described it will be manifestly clear that by slightly raisingone end of the plank to disengage the stops G such plank can be pulledout to rest on a platform, as

IDO

shown in Fig. l, the inclined portion of the upper end providing for asmooth slope from the platform to the plank or skid, the lower end ofthe drop members being also beveled, as at 71to provide for such aconnection of parts.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the advantages of my improvement it is thoughtwill readily appear. It will be observed that as the entire structure ismade complete it can be quickly fitted on the floor of the car or otherbody to which it is to be attached.

By forming the plank into two parts hinged together, as shown, andguiding the plank on inclined ways admits of all or a part of the plankbeing used (see Fig. 7) at any place and at any angle desired. Such.plank being worked from either side of the car on the in olined guidesinsures easy access and handlin g. Furthermore, as the platform orhousing extends over the plank freight can be piled on top of the saidplatform to height of car and yet not interfere with the proper workingof the plank, and as such platform is made sloping at the sides and endsit does not interfere with the handling of the freight when plank is andwhen not in use. Furthermore, by providing a car-body with myimprovement much saving of time is effected in handling freight-cars, asthe plank is of sufficient length to reach from car to depotplatform(when train is on main line) and thus avoid cutting train to place caron house-track.

In practice the side sloping portions of the platform may be made of astraight piece and boarded over similar in shape to hip7 roof of house,it being obvious that other slight changes or modifications in thedetail construction of paris may also be made without departing from thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of a platform or housing designed to be mounted uponthe floor of a car and provided with a longitudinal chamber, thelongitudinal guides mounted within the platform or housing and slopingfrom the center to the ends thereof, the gang-plank arranged upon theguides and composed of two sections hinged together at the center of thegang-plank, and locking devices for securing the gang-plank in operativeposition, said locking devices being also arranged to secure thegang-plank against movement when the same is housed within the platformsubstantially as described.

2. The combination of a platform or housing having a longitudinalchamber and designed to be mounted upon the floor of a ear, the dropmembers hinged to the top portion of the platform or housing, forminginclined end portions thereof and adapted to be raised to give access tothe longitudinal chamber, the guides arranged within the platform orhousing and sloping from the center to the ends thereof, and thegang-plank mounted upon the guides and composed of two sections hingedtogether at -the center of the gangplank substantially as described.

3. The combination of a platform or housing, stops mounted upon thebottom of same at the ends, a gang-plank arranged within the platform orhousing, and dogs depending from the lower face of the gang-plank andarranged to engage the stops when the gangplank is in operative positionand also when it is arranged Within the platform or housing, whereby thegankplank is locked in both positions substantially as described.

4l. The combination of the platform or housing having a longitudinalchamber, stops mounted upon the bottom thereof at the ends of the same,a gangplank arranged within the platform or housing, the gravity-dogsdepending from the lower face of the gangplank and arranged to engagethe stop when the gang-plank is in operative position and also when thesame is housed within the platform, and the inclined drop members hingedto the top of the platform or housing and resting upon the ends of thegan g-plank when the latter is housed substantially as described.

JAMES ALVIN POVELL.

Titnesses A. S. FERGUSON, J. NV. BIvEN.

